H*3931(Rat #0218, Act #0197 of 2002)  General Bill, By Townsend
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4030, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WIDTH OF A VEHICLE, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM
 "APPURTENANCES", AND TO PROVIDE FOR A MAXIMUM WIDTH FOR APPURTENANCES ON MOTOR
 HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS, AND TRUCK CAMPERS IN NONCOMMERCIAL USE; TO AMEND
 SECTION 56-5-4070, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO LIMITATIONS PLACED ON THE LENGTH OF
 COMBINATION VEHICLES, SO AS TO REVISE THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
 THAT TRAVEL ALONG THE STATE'S HIGHWAYS, AND TO SUBSTITUTE THE TERM "VEHICLES"
 FOR THE TERMS "TRAILER OR SEMITRAILERS"; TO AMEND SECTION 57-3-150, RELATING
 TO THE ISSUANCE OF MULTIPLE TRIP PERMITS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,
 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY ISSUE ANNUAL TRIP PERMITS TO CERTAIN
 MANUFACTURERS, DEALERS, OR TRANSPORTERS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES AND UNDER CERTAIN
 CIRCUMSTANCES.-amended title

   04/11/01  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-31
   04/11/01  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-31
   02/05/02  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-21
   02/07/02  House  Amended HJ-26
   02/07/02  House  Read second time HJ-28
   02/07/02  House  Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day HJ-28
   02/08/02  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-2
   02/12/02  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-7
   02/12/02  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-7
   02/28/02  Senate Polled out of committee Transportation SJ-38
   02/28/02  Senate Committee report: Favorable Transportation SJ-38
   03/05/02  Senate Read second time SJ-14
   03/05/02  Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
                     amendments SJ-14
   03/06/02  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-18
   03/21/02         Ratified R 218
   03/27/02         Signed By Governor
   04/16/02         Effective date 03/27/02
   04/16/02         Copies available
   04/24/02         Act No. 197

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4030, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WIDTH OF A VEHICLE, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "APPURTENANCES", AND TO PROVIDE FOR A MAXIMUM WIDTH FOR APPURTENANCES ON MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS, AND TRUCK CAMPERS IN NONCOMMERCIAL USE; TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4070, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO LIMITATIONS PLACED ON THE LENGTH OF COMBINATION VEHICLES, SO AS TO REVISE THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT TRAVEL ALONG THE STATE'S HIGHWAYS, AND TO SUBSTITUTE THE TERM "VEHICLES" FOR THE TERMS "TRAILER OR SEMITRAILERS"; TO AMEND SECTION 57-3-150, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF MULTIPLE TRIP PERMITS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY ISSUE ANNUAL TRIP PERMITS TO CERTAIN MANUFACTURERS, DEALERS, OR TRANSPORTERS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES AND UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Appurtenances

SECTION 1. Section 56-5-4030 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-5-4030. (A) As contained in this section, 'appurtenances' include:

(1) an awning and its support hardware; and

(2) an appendage that is intended to be an integral part of a motor home, travel trailer, or truck camper and is installed by the manufacturer or dealer which includes, but is not limited to, vents, electrical outlet covers, and window frames.

(B) The total outside width of a vehicle or the load on it may not exceed one hundred two inches exclusive of safety devices approved by the department.

(C) Appurtenances on motor homes, travel trailers, and truck campers in noncommercial use may extend to a maximum of six inches on one side and four inches on the other beyond the maximum width requirement contained in subsection (B)."

Motor vehicle maximum length

SECTION 2. Section 56-5-4070(B) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 333 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"(B) No motor vehicle, exclusive of truck tractors being used in two or three unit combinations on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, on those qualifying federal-aid highways so designated by the United States Secretary of Transportation, and on other highways as designated by the Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 56-5-4075, may exceed a length of forty feet extreme overall dimension, inclusive of front and rear bumpers and load carried on it, except buses as approved by the department, or motor homes which may not exceed forty-five feet in length, if the turning radius of the motor home is forty-eight feet or less."

Vehicle maximum length

SECTION 3. Section 56-5-4070(F) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(F) Appropriate safety and energy conservation devices and compressors and fuel saving equipment on the front or loading devices on the rear of vehicles must not be considered when determining their length for purposes of this section if the overall length limitations of combinations of vehicles is not exceeded."

Annual trip permit

SECTION 4. Section 57-3-150 of the 1976 Code, as added by Section 85A, Part II, Act 497 of 1994, is amended to read:

"Section 57-3-150. (A) The Department of Transportation, under the terms and conditions it considers to be in the best interest of the public for safety on the highways, may issue multiple trip permits for the moving of over-dimensional or overweight nondivisible loads over specified state highways determined by the Department of Transportation. The fee for the permit is fifty dollars, payable at the time of issuance, as long as a permit is purchased for each vehicle in the fleet, one hundred percent. A multiple trip permit is valid for one year from the date of issuance. To be valid, the original permit must be carried on the towing vehicle. It is unlawful for a person to violate a provision, term, or condition of the permit. The permit is subject at all times to inspection by a law enforcement officer or an authorized agent of the authority issuing the permit. A multiple trip permit is void one year from the date of issue or whenever the Department of Transportation is notified in writing that the permit has been lost, stolen, or destroyed.

(B) The Department of Transportation may issue to a motor home, travel trailer, or truck camper manufacturer, dealer, or transporter an annual trip permit authorizing the unlimited commercial movement of a motor home, travel trailer, or truck camper in the manufacturer's, transporter's, or dealer's possession which exceeds the maximum width specified in Section 56-5-4030(B). Notwithstanding the provisions contained in subsection (A), additional permit requirements must not be imposed on the commercial movement of motor homes, travel trailers, or truck campers if they comply with the provisions contained in Section 56-5-4030."

Time effective

SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 21st day of March, 2002.

Approved the 27th day of March, 2002.